Mace

During the reign of Francis I of France (1515–47), the art and culture of the Italian Renaissance were embraced wholeheartedly. Italian artists and craftsmen were called to France to work for the king in Paris and at his château at Fontainebleau. A great patron of armorers, Francis I commissioned works from armorers in Milan; he also patronized local armorers, many of whom had been trained in Italy. During the reign of Henry II (1547–59), the bold Italian style of embossed armor decoration evolved in France into one of greater delicacy and elegance, more like goldsmith’s work than sculpture. Armors in the new French fashion were densely covered with delicate foliate scrolls inhabited by allegorical figures and grotesques or with intricate strapwork that served as a framework for complex scenes from ancient history. Similar ornament is found in French painting, sculpture, metalwork, and bookbinding of the mid-sixteenth century. Many of the designs for the finest royal armors are attributable to the Parisian artists Etienne Delaune, Jean Cousin the Elder, and Baptiste Pellerin. French armor favored overall decoration, etched or embossed and usually gilt. These characteristics can be followed through the reign of Henry IV (1589–1610).

The style of embossing and etching found on armor thought to have been made in the southern Netherlands indicates a strong French influence, so much so that French and Flemish armors are sometimes indistinguishable.